Commonwealth-supported places
Most University of Sydney undergraduates are Commonwealth-supported students, which means the federal government funds part of your tuition costs and you pay a ‘top up’ amount through a student contribution.
To be eligible for a Commonwealth-supported place and for the Higher Education Loan Program (HECS-HELP), you must:
- be a citizen of Australia or New Zealand or
- hold an Australian permanent resident visa or
- hold an Australian permanent humanitarian visa.
Your student contribution is calculated twice a year, at the beginning of each semester. Because it is more expensive to teach some courses than others, the amount you have to contribute depends on the subjects you study.
The table below outlines the student contribution amounts for Commonwealth-supported students who enrol at the University of Sydney for the first time in 2012. Note that in some degrees – for example science, arts and economics – the range of subjects offered can cross a number of bands. Your exact contribution amount will therefore depend on the subjects you choose.
| Student Contribution Band | Unit of Study Field | Students commencing study after January 1 2010 |
Students commencing study between January 1 2009 and December 31 2009 and are continuing in the same course of study |
Students commencing study between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008 and are continuing in the same course of study | Students commencing study before January 1, 2008 and are continuing in the same course of study |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band 1 | Humanities, Arts, Behavioural Science, Social Studies, Foreign Languages, Visual and Performing Arts | $5,648 | $5,648 | $5,648 | $5,648 |
| Education and Nursing (**) | $5,648 | $4,648 | $4,520 | $4,520 | |
| Band 2 | Computing, Built Environment, Health, Engineering, Surveying, Agriculture | $8,050 | $8,050 | $8,050 | $8,050 |
| Band 3 | Law, Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Science | $9,425 | $9,425 | $9,425 | $9,425 |
| Accounting, Administration, Economics and Commerce (#) | $9,425 | $9,425 | $9,425 | $8,050 | |
| National Priority (Sydney Uni Band 6) | Mathematics, Science and Statistics | $4,520 | $4,520 | $8,050 | $8,050 |
(**) The various notices and financial statements produced by the University, subsequent to 1 January 2010, will classify the units of study in these disciplines as Band 7 units.
(#) The various notices and financial statements produced by the University, subsequent to 1 January 2010, will classify the units of study in these disciplines as Band 5 units.
HECS-HELP
If you are an Australian citizen or hold a permanent humanitarian visa, you are eligible for HECS-HELP (the federal government’s Higher Education Loan Program). This means you can choose to either pay your student contribution upfront with a 10 percent discount (‘HECS-HELP discount’), or defer all or part of your contribution through the Australian Taxation Office (‘HECS-HELP loan’). If you take out a HECS-HELP loan, the loan amount will be reported to the Australian Tax Office and you repay the money you owe through the tax system once you start to work and your income reaches a certain threshold ($47,195 per annum in 2011-12).
Commonwealth-supported students who are permanent resident visa holders (other than permanent humanitarian visa holders), or New Zealand citizens who are not also Australian citizens, are not eligible for HECS-HELP and must pay their student contribution in advance without a discount.
More information on Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP.